Phonograph record cabinet



Dec. 31, 1940. J. R. ROADS 2,226,779

' PHONOGRAPH RECORD CABINET Filed March 18, 1939 IJZ =1 w I 1 1 1 5 I f 2 i j: 30

Z0 3mm 2.2 JaJnesiEiEoc-ools, 4' '79 2 Patented Dec. 31, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in filing cabinets designed, particularly, for the filing or so arranged as to permit each one to be individually actuated without interference from the juxtaposed holders. I

A further object is to provide the holders with 'means or data for identifying the records stored therein, the identifying data being arranged on the holdersso as to insure the data on all the holders being fully exposed to view at all times.

Another object of the invention is to provide the holders with means for partially withdrawing them individually from the cabinet, such means presenting ample surface for carrying the record-identifying data. I

A still further object is to provide a series of holders with a finger extension on each holder, but with said extensions arranged in groups in different planes, with one or more holders inter: posed between any two contiguous extensions of a group, whereby all the extensions are spaced sulficiently apart, one from the other, so as to permit any one of them being actuated without accidentally engaging a second extension at the same time.

Another object is to provide the cabinet with holders pivoted to rock forwardly and, rearwar'dly therein, with the pivotal center located forwardly of the center of gravity of the holder even when the latter is in its forwardly tilted position, whereby the holder will automatically return to its rear or inner position by gravity, in the absence of a record. Another object is to provide a record holder pivoted in'the cabinet and formed with a bottom or record-supporting wall slanting inwardly, the inclination of said bottom wall being such that,

" with the holder in its inner or rearward position,

a record deposited in such holder will immediately roll down into the holder, this movement of the record being augmented by gravity and the momentum of the record. Thus, restoration of the records to the holders is greatly simplified and does not require the user to restore the holder to its inner or normal position after placing a record therein.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, all as will hereinafter be more fully described, and the novel features thereof particularly pointed out in .the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing- Figure 1 is a perspective View illustrating the present invention in connection with a construction wherein the cabinet casing is shown more or less diagrammatically;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the structure disclosed in Fig. 1; and a Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. I

The casing 10 of the cabinet may, of course, take any desired shape or design although it is illustrated in the present instance of plain rectang-ular shape, o'penat the front for removal and replacement of the records. Plvoted on a pivot pin H in the interior of the casing are a plurality of holders each preferably capable of receiving a single disc record l2. Each holder comprises opposite side walls, l4, l5, spaced apart by a filler l6 forming the bottom and back of the holder and, in instances where only one record is stored in each holder, of a thickness substantially corresponding to that of therecord. The indi vidual holders may be held slightly spaced apart by spacer elements i3 extending forwardly from the rear wall of the housing. Thus, the side walls and filler form a cavity for reception of the record and, as will be observed in Fig. 3, the pivot pin H is so located with the center of gravity of the individual holders that the normal tendency of the latter is to tilt inwardly by gravity to the position in which the holder is illustrated. It will also be observed that the edge of the filler forming the wall of the recess in each holder is somewhat dished rearwardly of the pivot pin, this portion of said wall, indicated at l8, preferably conforming to the curvature of the perimeter of the disc. On the'other hand the portion of said wall indicated at'l9, or in advance of said pivot pin, is struck on a curve of greater radius so that when a holder is tilted forwardly, the disc tends to 'roll toward the front of the cabinet. However, 15 when the disc is removed from its holder, the latter will tilt backward by gravity to its normal position and, likewise, with the empty holder in normal position, the disc, when replaced therein, will tend to roll to the rear of the holder because 50 of the dished portion I8.

As previously stated, each holder is preferably adapted to hold only a single record and, consequently, is rather thin, so that when a numberof them are-assembled in a cabinet, it would ordi: .55

narily be diflicult to tilt one particular holder. It should also be mentioned that the holders must be assembled rather, close to each other in order to minimize the over-all dimensions of the cabinet. In the present construction, this difficulty is overcome by forming each holder with a. finger extension projecting forwardly therefrom with the several extensions arranged in groups each disposed in a different plane and with at least one holder interposed between each two contiguous extensions in a given group. For instance, where the extensions are arranged in only two vertically spaced groups, as in the structure illustrated, one set of alternate holders is formed with extensions 20, and the other set of alternate holders with extensions 2|. The extensions 20 are longer than extensions 2i, but the latter project an appreci able distance above extensions 20, so that the operative portions thereof, or the finger-engaging portions of the two sets or groups are disposed in planes spaced vertically apart, and the extensions of each group are also spaced laterally apart sufiiciently to permit anyone extension to be depressed without unintentionally depressing a second extension at the same time.

In the preferred embodiment of :the invention, these extensions are formed integrally with the filler pieces l6, projecting forwardly at the bottom forward edge of the holder. It is also. preferred that the individual extensions beprovided with beveled or inclined upper or end surfaces, as indicated at 22. Due to, the fact that single record holders are so thin, there is very little sur. face on which to impress data identifying the record carried in the holder. It is intended that each record carry some identifying means or data such as the numeral, 17 appearing on the record illustrated in Fig. 3. The rec01dS,.With their identifying data are suitably listed or indexed, and the data for each record also. impressed on the beveled or inclined surface of the extension on the holder for that particular record. Thus, although .the title appearing on the record may be completely concealed, it. is an easy matter to select and depress the, holder containing the desired record. In this connection, it will be noted that the lateral spacing of the extensions of the respective groups. and the vertical spacing of the data-bearing portions; of the several groups, results in data-bearing.por. tions of all the extensions being fully open to view at all times. Thus, removal of a particular record can be accomplished with facility dueto the fact that all identifying data is. fully exposed and any one extension can be readily depressed without interference from the adjacent extensions. I

It will be understood that, when a holder is depressed, and the record rolls toward. the front thereof, it will be retained in the curved portion I!) of the holder bottom, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3. In other words, it will be only partially ejected and complete removal is accomplished by the operator lifting it out of the holder.

When the holder is tilted forwardly and the record held in the dished portion l9 thereof, the center of gravity of the combined holder and record is located forwardly of the pivotal center ll, so that they will remain in this positionuntil the record is removed from the holder. However, it will be observed, in Fig. 3,, that the center of gravity of each holder is located, rear- Wardly or inwardly of the cabinet with respect to the pivotal center I! so that, when the record is removed therefrom, the holder will return, by gravity, to its normal inner or rearwardly titled position. It will, further, be observed, in Fig. 3, that the curved portion l9 of the bottom wall of the holder presents a comparatively steep surface and, when a record is restored to the holder, it will inunediately start to roll down this inclined surface, and gravity and the momentum of the record will cause it to assume the position in which it is shown in full lines in Fig. 3. Thus. full restoration of the record to the holder is accomplished merely by the user lightly placing the record in the holder. The holder having automatically returned to its inner position, as previously described, this full restoration of the record is accomplished merely by this single act of placing the record on the forward edge of the bottom of the holder. This is very simple, as compared with those structures wherein the recordmust be placed in the holder and the holder manually tilted to its normal position in the cabinet.

What I claim is:

1. In aphonograph record disc cabinet, a disc holder comprising side walls and a filler member between said walls constituting the bottom of the holder, said holder being pivoted to swing forwardlyand rearwardly'in the cabinet, the center of gravity of the holder being located rearwardly of the holder's pivotal center at all times, the bottom surface of said holder supporting the record having dished, concave portions forwardly and rearwardly of said pivotal center with the two concave portions struck on different centers, the forward dished portion being of suflicient depth to retain the record in the holder when the latter is swung forward.

2. In a phonograph recorddisc cabinet, a disc holder comprising side walls and a filler member between said walls constituting the bottom of the holder, said holder being pivoted to swing forwardly and rearwardly in the cabinet, the center of gravity of the holder being located rearwardly of the holders pivotal centerat all times, thebottom surface of said holder supporting the record having dished, concave portions forwardly and rearwardly of said pivotal center with the two concave portions struck on different centers; the forward. dished portion being of' 'sufli cient depth to retain the record in the holder when the latter is swung forward, the center of gravity of the holder and record combined when the latter is held in said forward dished portion being located forwardly of the pivotal center of the holder.

3. In a phonograph record disc cabinet, a holder pivoted to, swing forwardly and rearwardly of the cabinet, the pivotal center of .the holder being located forwardly of the center of gravity thereof whereby the holder will swing rearwardly by gravity to'its normal position in the; absence of a record, said holderhaving a bottom formed with a concave surface rearwardly of the pivotal center of the holder and in which the record'is normally retained and a second concave surface in said bottom in advance of said pivotal center, the depth of said second concave surface being such as to retain a record therein when theholder is tilted forwardly and the inclination of the forward portion of said second concave surface being such that a record disc deposited-thereon with the holder in its normal position will roll pastthe pivotal center of the holder onto said rear concave surface by reason of the momentum acquired by said record in descending said inclined portion.

4'. In a phonograph record disc cabinet, a holder pivoted to swing forwardly and rearwardly of the cabinet, the pivotal center of the holder being located forwardly of the center of gravity thereof whereby the holder will swing rearwardly by gravityto its normal position in the absence of a record, said holder having a bottom formed with a concave surface rearwardlyo-f said pivotal center and in which the record is normally retained and a second concave surface in said bottom in advance of the pivotal center of the holder, the inclination of the forward portion of said second concave surface being such that a record disc deposited thereon with the holder in its normal position will roll past the pivotal center of the holder onto the rear concave surface by reason of the momentum acquired by said record in descending said inclined portion.

JAMES R. ROADS. 

